Semester / Trimester

Students at an advanced level of Spanish or higher will take courses at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso with local students and can choose from hundreds of courses offered from a wide variety of departments including history, business, art, geography, literature, psychology, education, religious studies, sciences and many more.

All students must take a Spanish language placement exam upon arrival in Valparaíso. The exam will indicate each student's language proficiency level, and will determine the Spanish courses in which the student is eligible to enroll.

Students are required to enroll in at least one "regular" course with locals and three to four additional courses of their choice. Students have the option of taking any course offered with international students through the Spanish Language & Chilean Culture program. However, in order to optimize the academic rigor of this program, ISA strongly recommends that students enroll primarily in regular courses with locals.

Please note that there are three different types of courses offered at the PUCV-- Regular, General Electives and Spanish Language & Latin American Studies.

Regular courses are unique to each department, and for this reason are exclusive to those who study within the specific major or track. These course offerings are part of a fixed course curriculum and are very demanding for local students alike. In addition, these courses can be worth up to four to six credit hours and are offered two to three times a week.

General elective courses are offered by different schools at the PUCV and are open to local and international students. These particular courses are offered once a week, and are worth two credit hours. Elective courses generally have more international students than locals enrolled.

Spanish Language & Latin American Studies courses were designed through the PIIE [Programas Internacionales de Intercabio] International Exchange Program, with international students in mind. These course offerings were specifically created for international students, and offer a variety of courses related to Spanish language and Latin American studies.

All courses for the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso are held at the Valparaíso and Viña del Mar campuses, and are taught by host university faculty. Classmates are international and local students.

Students who do not wish to enroll in at least one regular course with locals will be required to switch to the Spanish Language & Chilean Culture program.

Students may also add an Intensive February Month to the Spring/Year program for a discounted price. Contact the ISA office for further details.

Eligibility

Minimum GPA

Students must have a minimum grade point average of 2.50.

Minimum Admissions Prerequisites

Students must have completed or tested out of a minimum of four semesters (six quarters) of college-level Spanish.

Course Information

Course Disclaimer

Courses and course hours of instruction are subject to change.

Please note that there are no beginning level Spanish courses offered in this program.

Eligibility for courses may be subject to a placement exam and/or pre-requisites.